The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-12-24
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
IN LAND OF DARKNESS.

INA LAND OF DARKNESS.
New Guinea, probably the second island in size
IN the world, is less known to civilized man than
any other region Of equal size Until recently
eVsn the principal features Of the coast had not
been accurately determined, and the interior still
offers an extensive field for exploration. During
the present year an expedition under Mr.. Theo-
dore Bevan has successfully sought water route
70 the inland mountains, discovering two magnif-
cent rivers, with numerous tributaries The main
streams were named the Douglas and the Jubilee,
and were navigated for 100 and Ito miles. The
course led into country Of superb mountain
scenery, through fertile lands in which sage, ban
anas, tobacco, bread-fr and sugar cane were
found to be indigenous. The island proved to be
practically uninhabited except within few miles
of the coast. Seven tribes Of natives were en-
countered near the Gulf of Papua, the largest
numbering 400 or 500 men. The climate was not
unhealthy, the temperature varying from az to
So degrees during the day.
PREHISTORIC MINES.
An account of some interesting ancient flint
mines discovered near Mur-de Barrez, France,
has been given by M. Marcelin Boule. The fints
formed . bed underlying some twenty feet OF
chalk, in which narrow shafts and galleries, still
bearing the marks of the rude deer-horn picks,
were exeavated. The roofs of the galleries were
supported by pillars and props, as in modern
mining but the results Of caveins are still to be
seen in tools crushed between fallen rocks. Near
the shafts are remains Of ancient workshops, where
the flint worked into various articles used IN
the age Of polished stone.
saf.Oi GoFIo.
The splendid physical development of the Ca
nary Islanders gives especial interest to their
peculiar food Five-sixths Of the inhabitants, ac-
cording to Dr. G. f. Taylor, subsist almost ex-
ciusively upon fine -four made by grinding
roasted wheat, corn or barley. This is called
Gofo Being already cooked, it requires no prep
aration for eating except mixing to any desired
consistency with milk, soup, or any suitable huid
Gofo is delicious, wholesome, highly nutritious,
and very convenient to use For these reasons,
apd the important one that it seems to remove
tendency to acidity of the stomach, DR.. Taylor
recommends the addition of this food to our own
already large variety.
EARTHQUAKE PREscIENcE.
In q paper before late meeting of the Seis-
mological Society of Japan, Prof. Milne mentioned
the signs of alarm which the lower animals often
show Just before earthquakes. Ponies were OBJ
served to prance in their stalls half minute be-
fore shock last January. Proof has been found
that pheasants scream, and frogs suddenly cease
their croaking, while geese, swine and dogs give
the clearest indications Of an approaching earth
quake. 1t was suggested that the animals are
probably very sensitive to slight preliminary
tremors though in volcanic districts small ami
mails have been not only alarmed but even killed
by gases escaping just before earthquakes
THE COLOR OF EYES.
Extensive researches into the heredity OF eye
colors have led M. Alphonse de Candolle to con-
slider it certain that women have larger proper
ton of brown eyes than men that where both
parents have eyes of the color the chances are
lightweight to twelve that the children who reach
the age Of ten years (when the colors of the eyes
are fxed) will have eyes of the same color; and
that where the parents have eyes Of different colors
the chances are fifty to forty-fve in favor of
brown as against blue or grey for the children
He claims that brown eyes are more favorable to
health and longevity than the blonde types.
20 s. s MISCELLANEOUS.
A French traveller has thoroughly explored the
Orinoco River, and finds that its sources are sur
rounded by fan shaped chain Of mountains,
which be proposes calling the De Lesseps range.
OF the various geological collections in the
British Museum, the oldest is the Sloane Collec-
ton, which was acquired by purchase in 1913.
The fossils were then regarded as mere curiosites
and the original manuscript catalogue, still pre-
served, contains many curious entries to remind
the reader Of the rapid progress of the science OF
geology during recent years.
In a collection of poisonous fishes now on ex-
hibition at Havre is very peculiar Tetradon from
the Japan Sea, which is sometimes used as means
of suicide. 1t gives sensations like those OF NOR
phia, then death.
French chemist, M. Davanne, has offered a
prize of 1000 francs for Photographic plate
giving the advantages of both gelatine and col
lodion. Simplicity in the operations combined
with the greatest sensitiveness the chief con-
ditions to be observed.
Some Psychologists are more inclined to blame
BARRIERS than hats for the increasing evil Of pre-
mature badness. Frequent shampooing and
washing greatly injure the growth of hair by re-
moving its oily matter, though a common notion
is that daily scapscrubbing is essential to clean
iness.
Though discovered in 1879, saccharine is just
beginning to be manufactured on large scale,
near Magdeburg, Prussia. Having 800 times the
sweetening power of cane sugar, this remarkable
product is adapted to many uses. It is expected
to be especially valuable in medicine on account
- ss is is absolute hsrHiessaess.
Applying certain measurements to scarcely
visible film of silver, Herr Wiener arrives at the
conclusion that less than LIS, molecules
Of silver must be laid in line to measure an inch.
A chair of sanitary engineering, believed to be
the only one in existence, has been established
in the Imperial University of Japan.